Sheave assembly



May 23, 1933. w. LAING ET AL SHEAXE ASSEMBLY Original Filed June 3, 1930INVENTORS WI LLJAMLLAIN (5' FR D. EWEL ATTORNEYS Mu mm latented May 23,

UNITED STATES WILLIAM L. LAING- AND FRED NEWELL, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC,CANADA, ASSIGNORS 'I'O DOMINION BRIDGE COMPANY LIMITED, F LACHINE,QUEBEC, CANADA sHEAvn ASSEMBLY I l Application filed .Tune 3, 1930,Serial No. 459,039. Renewed March 14, 1933.

This invention relates to an improved sheave assembly for cranes andsimilar structures, wherein the mounting and dismounting of the sheaveassembly is often complicated by the lack of adequate working space, dueto the frequent necessity of locating the sheaves in comparativelyinaccessible portions of the frame structure. This difficulty is furtherincreased when the sheaves are 19 mounted on anti-friction bearings asthe removal of such bearings is a task that cannot be convenientlyperformed, inthe absence of considerable working space.

The present invention has for its object 15 to eliminate the existingdifiiculty referred to and it consists in providing an improved assemblywhich permits each sheave to be mounted in place or removed as aseparate unit and is, therefore, especially adapted for 29 use in thetop girt of cranes and in all structures wherein the working spaceavailable for sheave mounting and dismounting oper-' ations isnecessarily very limited.

.According to this invention, each unit of the sheave assembly comprisesa sheave mounted on a shaft having its ends supported by a shaft hangerconsisting of a pair of plates located at opposite sides of the sheave..Rollers or other anti-friction bearings are preferably interposedbetween the sheave and its supporting shaft. The shaft hanger of eachunit is provided with means for engaging suitable supporting membersattached to portions of the crane or other structure in which thesheaves are to be mounted. The shaft hangersof each assembly arearranged in parallel relation and maintained in abutting engagement bysuitableretaining members interposed between the end hangers of eachassembly andopposing portions of the frame structure within which theassembly is mounted.

Proceeding now'to .a more detailed dis- 4 cussion of the invention,reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is afragmentary, sectional plan view of a portion of a crane structurehaving my improved sheave assembly mounted i therein. 5

is adapted for application to any other type of structure in which itmay be found useful to facilitate sheave mounting and dismountingoperations.

As herein illustrated, the crane structure comprises frame members 11,12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 The areas 18 and 18a bounded by the framingmembers 12, 13, 1d, 15 and 16 represent the spaces in which the sheaveassemblies? are mounted. The customary guide pulleys indicated at 19 aremounted beneath channel members 20 bridging portions of the spacesreserved between the frame members 11 and 12.

The sheave assembly provided, in accordance with the present invention,for location in each of the spaces 18 and 18a comprises a pluralityofseparate units. Each unit includes a sheave 21 mounted on a supportingshaft 22. The ends of the shaft are keyed in suitable openings formed ina pair of side plates 23 located at opposite sides of the sheave 21.These plates 23 are secured together by a plurality of bolts 24 orsimilar fastening devices. A. horizontally extending bar 24: is securedbetween the upper edges of the plates 23 by certain of the bolts 2 1.

The ends of this bar project laterally beyond the opposite verticaledges of the plates 23 and have their lower edges notched as indicatedat 26. The plates 23 and the bar 24" conjointly provide a hanger for theshaft 22, by means of which the sheave 21 is supported in position, ashereinafter explained.

Anti-friction bearings are preferably interposed between the sheave 21and the shaft 22 of each unit. These bearings may be of any suitabletype, but we prefer to employ the roller bearing construction shown toad vantage in Figure 2. On referring to this figure, it will be notedthat two series of rollers 27 are interposed between each shaft i 22 andthe hub of the associated sheave 21.

A suitable number of sheave units, con-- structed as described, areassembled in abutting relation within each of the spaces 18 and 1812. Asshown to advantage in the several figures of the drawing, the units ofeach assembly are supported in place by means of supporting plates 32attached to the frame members 12 and 14 to serve as rests for thenotched ends 26 of the bars 24. It will be noted that sulficientclearance is provided in each of the spaces 18 and 18a to permit eachunit of the assembly to be slid into and out of supporting engagementwith the plates 32 when said units are free to be so moved. Ordinarily,the units of each assembly are held in abutting engagement with oneanother by means of suitable retaining members interposed between theend units of said assembly and the opposing frame members at the ends ofthe spaces 18 and 18a. As shown to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2, the unitat the left of the assembly located in the space 18 is engaged by thehead 34 of a T-shaped retaining member having its shank 35 secured tothe frame member 13 by suitableangle strips 36. The unit located at theright of said assembly is held in abutting engagement with the head 37of a second retaining member having its shank 38 fastened by angles 39to one side of the frame member 15. first mentioned retaining member ispreferably equipped with a pressure screw 40 by means of which theseveral units of the assembly may be firmly pressed together. The unitat the left of the assembly located in the space 18a is likewise engagedby the head 41 of a T-shaped retaining member having its shank 42fastened by angles 43 to the frame member 15. The unit at the right ofthe last mentioned assembly is engaged by the head 44 ofa T-shapedretaining member having its shank 45 fastened by angles 46 to the framemember 16. The head 44 of this member carries a pressure applying screw47 correspond. ing to the screw 40 previously described.

When it is desired to remove the sheaves from the spaces 18 and 18a thisis accomplished by removing the T-shaped retaining members secured tothe frame members 13 and 16 and then sliding the units of each assemblyin the direction of said frame members and out of engagement with thesupporting plates 32. After being thus removed the com-:

The head 34 of the shown) and also minimizes the wear on the' cables asit provides. for a substantially straight-line lead of the cables fromthe girt sheaves to the load supporting sheaves. In connection with thisfeature. it will also be understood that the girt sheaves may bearranged at any angle, less than a right angle, with reference to thelongitudinal axis of the girt.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. A sheaveassembly capable of being conveniently mounted in a confined space orremoved therefrom, said assembly comprising supporting means, aplurality of independent hangers slidably suspended in side by siderelation from said supporting means and a sheave mounted in each hanger,each of said hangers being independently slidable into and out ofengagement with said supporting means.

2. The combination with a structure comprising framing members defininga restricted sheave receiving space of a sheave assembly adapted to beconveniently mounted in said space or removed therefrom, said assemblycomprising a series of independenthangers each having a sheave mountedtherein and supporting means for the hangers arranged in said space toleave clearance permitting the hangers to be slid into'and out ofengagement therewith.

3. A sheave assembly comprising hanger supporting means, a series ofhangers slidably engaged with said supporting means and arranged in sideby side relation, a sheave mounted in each hanger and means removablyengageable with the end hangers of the series to prevent slidingmovement of the hangers relative to said supporting means.

4. A sheave assembly comprising a series of hangers, a sheave carried byeach hanger, supporting means in slidable engagement with all of saidhangers, said hangers being suspended in side by side relation from saidsupporting means and means engageable with the end hangers of the seriesto hold said hangers in abutting engagement with one another and toprevent sliding movement of the hangers relative to said supportingmeans.

5. VA sheave assembly comprising a pair of spaced supports, a pluralityof sheave units adapted to be suspended therefrom, each unit consistingof a hanger including a pair of side plates, a sheave rotatably mountedbe-' tween said plates and a supporting bar secured to the upper edgesof said plates and having its ends projecting therebeyond and disposedin sliding engagement with said supports.

6. A sheave assembly comprising a pair of spaced parallel supports, aseries of sheave units adapted to be suspended therefrom, each unitcomprising a hanger having a sheave rotatably mounted therein and across bar at the upper end of the hanger having its ends projecting intosliding engagement with said supports and means engageable with the endhangers of the series to prevent sliding movement of the hangersrelative to said supports.

7. A sheave assembly comprising a series of independent units, each imitconsisting of a pair of side plates secured together, a sheave rotatablymounted between said plates and a supporting bar secured between theupper portions of said plates with the ends of the bar projectingoutwardly beyond adjacent edges of the plates, a frame structure, a pairof spaced parallel supports secured to the frame structure and adaptedto slidably support the projecting ends of said bar and retainingmembers interposed between the end units of the series and portions ofthe frame structure to prevent sliding movement of the units relative tosaid supports, the arrangement being such as to permit said units tobefreely slid into or out of engagement with said supports upon removal ofthe retaining members.

8. A sheave assembly comprising a series of independent units, each unitconsisting of a shaft hanger, a cross bar carried by the upper portionof the hanger with the ends of the bar projecting outwardly therefrom, ashaft carried by said hanger, a sheave mounted on said shaft and ananti-friction bearing interposed between the shaft and the sheave, apair of parallel supports between which the units are adapted to bearranged in side by side relation with the projecting ends of the crossbar slidably arranged on said supports and means for temporarilypreventing sliding movement of the cross bar relative to said supports.

In witness whereof, We have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM L. LAING. FRED NEWELL.

